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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914494">crushes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/acceptabletwig/pseuds/acceptabletwig'>acceptabletwig</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>elliedina week 2021 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>90s AU, Alternate Universe, Day Six, Ellie and Abby are cousins, F/F, Fluff, High School AU, One Shot, Prompt: redemption, i will not explain why</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:15:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/acceptabletwig/pseuds/acceptabletwig</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Tuesday afternoon and like clockwork, Ellie Williams and Abigail Anderson are in the arcade.<br/>Every Tuesday and Thursday they arrive within minutes of Dina starting her shift. They don’t come on Mondays as Abby has swim practice, Wednesdays are out cause they both have soccer, and on Fridays Ellie has baseball.<br/>Week in and week out, they are here. Bickering and jeering at each other as they bounce between machines, hogging Street Fighter and stuffing ribbons of tickets into their bags.<br/>--<br/>prompt: redemption, day 6 of elliedina week<br/>small town 90s AU one-shot, Dina works in an arcade and her best customers are Ellie and her meathead cousin</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abby &amp; Dina (The Last of Us), Abby &amp; Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina &amp; Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>elliedina week 2021 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>crushes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I want you to know this is set in the late 90s but I’ve made little effort to convey that. Thank you for your time.<br/>(also! Ellie and Abby are cousins in this fic. Ellie is Joel’s adopted daughter, Tommy and Maria are married, and Maria’s brother is Jerry Anderson, don’t ask me why cause I don't really have a reason)</p><p>Prompts were released on @elliedina-week on tumblr, check them out to find more content from other creators. </p><p>Prompt: redemption</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>It’s Tuesday afternoon and like clockwork, Ellie Williams and Abigail Anderson are in the arcade.</p><p>Every Tuesday and Thursday they arrive within minutes of Dina starting her shift. They don’t come on Mondays as Abby has swim practice, Wednesdays are out cause they both have soccer, and on Fridays Ellie has baseball.</p><p>Week in and week out, they are here. Bickering and jeering at each other as they bounce between machines, hogging Street Fighter and stuffing ribbons of tickets into their bags.</p><p>Dina reckons they’d come before school if they didn’t have track multiple times a week.</p><p>She doesn’t know how they do it, feeling mildly out of breath just rushing from school to her shift. But they’re gorgeous and sun kissed and athletic and it <em>shows. </em>Strong arms, built shoulders, trim waists, handsome and freckled and gay.</p><p>So gay.</p><p>She’s unsure if she’s ever seen Abby wearing sleeves outside of her soccer uniform, and every other shirt she owns looks as though she’s ripped the sleeves off haphazardly.</p><p>Ellie’s hair is shaggy, still lingering in the awkward stages of a mullet as it grows from a shorter cut, sticking out at old angles under a baseball cap and often half stuck in the collar of one of Ellie’s flannel shirts.</p><p>Dina loses too much time each week thinking about it. Ellie’s hair looks soft, her smile is lopsided, her voice scratchy and she just does it for Dina.</p><p>There’s something about Ellie that just works.</p><p>It’s always worked.</p><p>Dina had moved to Jackson when she was fifteen; she sat behind Ellie in math for two years and she barely learnt a thing. Awestruck and stupid at the slope of her neck and the flex of her arms.</p><p>She was better now, her tongue no longer heavy in her mouth and the urge to flee was long abandoned.</p><p>Dina had worked in the arcade for almost two years, since she was sixteen, and she’d spent many shifts sitting at the prize counter studying for exams, trying and struggling to learn what she’d missed in math that day.</p><p>“Hey Dina,” Ellie says warmly, breaking her out of her thoughts.</p><p>“Hi Ellie,” Dina greets, wiping her face and hoping she wasn’t drooling as she forces a smile.</p><p>Their friendship was new and tentative. Dina still mildly nervous at times after crushing on Ellie from a distance all through middle school. She likes to believe at times that her crush was gone but over the last few months of short conversations, she knew she was slipping.</p><p>“Did you have a good day today?” Ellie asks easily.</p><p>“Yeah, it was alright,” Dina shrugs, fidgeting with her pen and looking down at her homework. “We got that history essay today though, so I think another wave of assignments is incoming.”</p><p>Ellie grimaces. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck and Dina feels two years of her life peel away as she watches Ellie’s bicep bulge in the movement. “I’m not the best with writing.”</p><p>“I- I thought you wrote all the time?” Dina asks, swallowing thickly. “You’ve always got that notebook of yours out at lunch.”</p><p>Ellie’s cheeks turn a little pink and she glances away. “Don’t tell anyone,” Ellie says, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. “But it’s all just song lyrics and bad poetry.”</p><p>Dina grins, butterflies almost violent in her stomach, her gaze lingering on the slight touch of hazel in Ellie’s green eyes.</p><p>“Essays on the other hand,” Ellie smiles crookedly. “Not my thing.”</p><p>Dina nods jerkily. “Yeah, yeah I get that.” She blinks, registering her words. “I mean- I’ll pick an essay over math any day but-” She shrugs. “Everyone is different.”</p><p>“I’d prefer math,” Ellie says, resting her hands on the counter. “It’s my favourite subject.”</p><p>“It’s my worst,” Dina admits.</p><p>“If you ever want to study together,” Ellie offers bashfully, waving a hand in the air. “Let me know?”</p><p>“I- yeah, yeah I will,” Dina says awkwardly, thinking about how entirely unhelpful that would be and how desperately she’d want that.</p><p>“Ellie!” Abby’s booming voice calls across the room. “You gettin’ change or what, dude?”</p><p>Ellie sighs. “I’m sorry about her,” she says, rolling her eyes. “She was dropped on her head as a baby.”</p><p>Dina laughs, holding out a hand to take some bills from Ellie. “It’s all good,” she smiles, opening the till. “She doesn’t really have an inside voice, does she?”</p><p>“Nup,” Ellie grins.</p><p>Dina exchanging the money without question, forty bucks in quarters is excessive but they both know it’s nothing new. Both Ellie and Abby worked weekends at their family business Miller Construction to fund it. Neither of the last names are Miller but Dina didn’t question it, always stuck on the image of Ellie in a toolbelt more than anything else. Sometimes they wrap up early on Sundays and come in covered in sawdust and sweat, ready to spend their entire pay and leave Dina breathless.</p><p>“We’re getting close,” Ellie says, looking up at the water gun on the top shelf behind Dina.</p><p>“I feel like you’d be a lot closer if you just bought one outright,” Dina says teasingly.</p><p>“We could never find a beauty like that in the wild,” Ellie says dramatically, accepting the rolls of quarters as Dina hands them over.</p><p>She’s not entirely wrong. Jackson was a small town and there certainly wasn’t another place around where they’d find it outside of actually driving to a city.</p><p>Dina doesn’t get the appeal, but she admires the dedication.</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>In the following weeks, Ellie and Abby start to come in on days after practice with wet hair and eager expressions.  </p><p>“We’re getting really close,” Ellie says again one Monday afternoon. The first time she’s shown up without Abby in tow. “Abby thinks we might hit it tonight,” she continues.</p><p>They’d been chatting for a handful of hours, Ellie had come up to get change and lingered to chat until she eventually just sat on the counter. The conversation was easy, Ellie’s smile was bright, and Dina didn’t want it to end.</p><p>So of course, Abby finally arrives.</p><p>She narrows her eyes questioningly when she sees Ellie at the counter and Ellie is almost immediately pink as she hops off the counter.</p><p>“How’d you go so far?” Abby asks.</p><p>“I, uh,” Ellie runs a hand through her hair sheepishly. “I haven’t started.”</p><p>“Dude,” Abby groans, punching Ellie in the shoulder. “Come on, get your head in the game!”</p><p>Ellie winces at the punch. “That was hard!” She protests as she shoves Abby. Abby grabs her and they begin to attempt to wrestle each other, their legs twisting as they both attempt the same move to trip the other over.</p><p>“Hey!” Dina yells incredulously. “No roughhousing!”</p><p>“Sorry, Dina,” Ellie apologises as they break apart, elbowing Abby when the other girl doesn’t speak.</p><p>“I’m sorry too,” Abby says lamely.</p><p>“Excuse my cousin,” Ellie says. “She doesn’t have any manners ’cause she was raised in a barn.”</p><p>“Hey!” Abby frowns. “That’s not true and we’re not cousins.”</p><p>“We are cousins,” Ellie says rolling her eyes.</p><p>“No, we’re not,” Abby protests.</p><p>“We are too!” </p><p>“We are not,” Abby says exasperatedly. “You’re the adopted kid of my dad’s sister’s husband’s brother.”</p><p>“Exactly!” Ellie agrees brightly, turning back to Dina with a smile. “So, we’re cousins.”</p><p>Dina tries and fails to hide her laughter.</p><p>“Your aunt is my aunt but we’re not each other’s aunt’s children,” Abby tries to argue, looking mildly confused. “So we’re like distantly connected but not related and therefore not cousins.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Ellie says shaking her head. “If my dad is the brother of your aunt’s husband then we’re cousins.”</p><p>“We don’t share any grandparents though,” Abby says, scratching her head. “So, we can’t be cousins.”</p><p>“Dude, I’m <em>adopted</em>,” Ellie says with a laugh. “It makes no difference if I’m your aunt’s child or your dad’s brother-in-law’s brother’s child, because either way there’s no blood there.”</p><p>Abby frowns. “I don’t- I don’t get it.”</p><p>“Neither do I,” Dina interjects. “I don’t think I followed any of that.”</p><p>“Anyway,” Ellie says. “We’re cousins and we need some more quarters, please and thank you.”</p><p>“We just need 217 more tickets,” Abby says, looking up at the water gun.</p><p>Dina looks up at the water gun, dust settled on grey and purple body of it. “I don’t know if it’s worth the tickets,” she says apologetically, looking at the small sign reading ‘Redeem for 15,000’ in front of it. “I have no idea much money you’ve spent so far, but you’ve spent a lot.”</p><p>“It’s the 1996 CPS 2000 Mk 1 Super Soaker,” Abby says, as though it means something to Dina. “It’s priceless.”</p><p>“Is it?” Dina asks.</p><p>“It’s the first elastic pressure Super Soaker ever made,” Ellie adds.</p><p>The addition doesn’t clarify anything for Dina and her blank expression must tell them as much.</p><p>“It was discontinued last year for the 1998 CPS 2500,” Abby frowns. “The 2500 has an even smaller nozzle than the CPS 2000 Mk 2.”</p><p>“Is that- is that what this one is?” Dina asks.</p><p>“This is the first release,” Ellie says. “The Mk 2 has 25% less capacity cause they shortened the pressure gauge and most of them have a different pump with a visible pin…” Her voice trails off, seemingly a little embarrassed.</p><p>“The Mk2 and the 2500 are shit compared to this,” Abby says. “This is the most powerful Super Soaker ever produced, better than the 300!”</p><p>“Oh wow,” Dina says politely, trying to force enthusiasm into her voice.</p><p>“It’s got the best time, output and range,” Abby continues. “I heard that someone once shot a kid in the eye with one and it <em>removed</em> the eye.”</p><p>“I really <em>really </em>doubt that,” Dina says. “Regardless, when you do get it, please do not shoot each other in the face.”</p><p>“We won’t,” Ellie smiles.</p><p>“Redemption will never be as sweet,” Abby whispers to herself, still gazing up at the water gun.</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>They get it by the Thursday, lugging in several backpacks of tickets for Dina to look at.</p><p>“We’ve come for redemption,” Abby says in a gravelly voice, her expression only serious for a moment before it cracks and she’s grinning dopily.</p><p>Counting the tickets was a chore and Dina didn’t do it as closely as she probably should have, trusting Abby’s count considering how meticulously ordered and bound the tickets were in sets of 250.</p><p>When Dina finally hands it over, Abby hugs the gun tightly to her chest. Dina’s mildly concern that Abby might kiss it.</p><p>Ellie and Abby’s jaws drop when Dina takes another identical water gun out from under the counter and places it back on the top shelf.</p><p>“There’s another-” Ellie says, eyes wide.</p><p>“I want it,” Abby whispers.</p><p>“Abby, we can’t-” Ellie tries.</p><p>“I want it,” Abby says wistfully. “We can totally get it.”</p><p>“We <em>cannot</em>,” Ellie protests.</p><p>“Think of how powerful we’ll be,” Abby says, bouncing on her feet a little like she’s torn between running off to play with the water gun or to go back to one of the arcade machines.</p><p>“I just don’t get it,” Dina mutters to herself.</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>It takes a week until they show up again; she talks to Ellie at times at school, but they don’t share lunch period and it’s not the same.</p><p>Her shifts feel longer, the kids seem more annoying and her homework seems to make less sense.</p><p>Their arrival makes her disproportionately happy, beaming at them as they come over to the counter to make change.</p><p>“I see you still have both eyes, Abby,” Dina says almost affectionately. “Did it live up to all your hopes and dreams?”</p><p>“It really did,” Abby says giddily, her eyes sparkling. “We’re gonna get his brother now, I think.”</p><p>Dina grins. “By the way, we just got in Mortal Kombat 4.”</p><p>“Finally!” Abby yells, smacking the counter before stalking away.</p><p>“I like her,” Dina says to Ellie.</p><p>“She’s pretty great,” Ellie sighs. There’s a beat of silence before them before Ellie’s peers over the counter. “How’s your homework treating you?”</p><p>Dina groans.</p><p>“That bad?” Ellie asks, looking apologetic for asking.</p><p>“Math is just not my thing,” Dina says, dropping her face into her hands.</p><p>“Can I help?” Ellie asks earnestly.</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>It’s later that night when it happens.</p><p>They spend an hour looking through the work, Ellie sitting with Dina behind the counter as she works through a handful of example questions in a crooked handwriting.</p><p>And it slowly clicks.</p><p>Dina’s almost giddy with relief as she understands. “God, I’m so glad we’re friends now,” Dina says honestly.</p><p>“Me too,” Ellie smiles softly, her eyes crinkling.</p><p>“You know what’s funny?” Dina asks, unable to stop herself.</p><p>“What?”  </p><p>“It’s funny but I had a huge crush on you like two years ago,” she admits.</p><p>Ellie’s jaw drops. “Really?”</p><p>Dina nods sheepishly.</p><p>“Wait, really? Two years ago?” Ellie asks pressingly.</p><p>“Yeah,” Dina flushes.</p><p>Ellie swears, smacking the table in front of her and pacing in the small space.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I had a crush on you two years ago,” Ellie groans, rubbing her eyes.</p><p>“Oh for fucks sake,” Dina curses, her head in her hands.</p><p>“I know,” Ellie sighs.</p><p>“<em>Fuuuuck</em>.”</p><p>“<em>I know.” </em></p><p>“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Dina asks, looking up to question Ellie.</p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ellie repeats anxiously.</p><p>They stare at each other almost angrily in their frustration, tense and regretful. Dina can’t blame her for not saying anything and she knows it.</p><p>Two years of what ifs between them.</p><p>“You good?”</p><p>They both startle, jumping in their skin to turn and find Abby on the other side of the counter, glancing between them and chewing gum lazily.</p><p>“She had a crush on me two years ago,” Ellie laments, the words rushing out all at once.</p><p>“Okay,” Abby says, blowing a bubble and popping it before continuing. “But like, she still likes you, so what’s the issue?”</p><p>Dina has never hated her more.</p><p>“I- Abby you-” Ellie stammers, looking angrily at Abby before turning to Dina. “I- I mean, do you?”</p><p>Dina swallows before nodding awkwardly.</p><p>Ellie looks elated, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly with restless energy like Abby the week prior. “Do you, uh, do you wanna go on a-?” She clears her throat. “Can I take- Can I <em>please </em>take you on a date? Would you-”</p><p>Dina reaches out to stop her, taking Ellie’s hand gently in hers. “I would love to go on a date with you,” she says sincerely, her cheeks are burning, and she knows she’s probably blushing just as much as Ellie.</p><p>They smile at each other eagerly, thrumming with excitement and giddy with affection.</p><p>“So like,” Abby interrupts. “Can I get some more quarters, though?”</p><p> </p><p>(Ellie has baseball practice after school the next day. Dina has the night off work, so she sits in the stands, her homework open and ignored in her lap. They go to a diner for burgers and fries afterwards, holding hands across the table, and they have their first kiss that night at Dina’s front door.)</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please let me know what you think if you have the time x </p><p>Tumblr: respectablesentiment</p></blockquote></div></div>
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